


Laugh Until We Choke

by PumpkinDoodles



Series: 'As is' Means With All Faults [6]
Category: Avengers, Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor - Fandom
Genre: Angst, F/M, Jane Isn’t Dusted, SUFFER WITH ME, TripleAgent! Rumlow, i just watched infinity war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 20:56:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17210798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PumpkinDoodles/pseuds/PumpkinDoodles
Summary: The Post-Infinity War ficlet that this AU didn’t really want or need, am I right?





	Laugh Until We Choke

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing!

“I got you frozen broccoli. What are we doing for dinner, babe?” Darcy called out, as she unpacked groceries.

“You want Chinese?” Brock asked, carrying a damp Pearl into the room. She looked sleepy.

“You had a bath without Mommy? Traitors!” Darcy said, miming being wounded in the heart. She liked playing with the rubber duckies as much as Pearl. Maybe more. She gave each ducky its own voice.

“She sort of got dirty at daycare,” Brock admitted sheepishly. “Also, she stole the Michaelson kid’s Happy Meal toy.” He made a guilty face.

“That is all you!” Darcy said, laughing. “Thievery is one hundred percent the Rumlow genes.”

“C’mon, you never shoplifted candy or something?” he asked.

“Nope,” Darcy said. “I think quesadillas. Are you down with that, Gelato?”

“Sure,” Brock said. “I’ll put her down and help out, sweetheart.”

When he had tucked Pearl into bed, Brock returned to the kitchen. He heard Darcy sigh. “What’s wrong?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“I’m a little worried about Jane, she’s worried about Thor, plus all those Asgardian refugees,” Darcy said.

“I’m sure it’ll be okay and if it’s not, we’ll figure out how to make it better for them,” Brock told her. Thad Ross was being intransigent about accepting and resettling Asgardian refugees, which left Thor bouncing between Jane’s observatory and king-in-exile in space.

“You’re getting all Hallmark in your old age,” Darcy said. He snorted.

“You trying to say I’m going soft, woman?” Brock teased, bumping her gently.

 

They were eating dinner when NBC broke in with news about New York. Darcy stared in horror. “Tony’s missing?” she said, looking at Brock.

 

***

Time passed differently after the Snap. Steve and Natasha were sitting in the upstate in the gloom, waiting. Steve no longer knew what he was waiting for. He’d lost Bucky, Sam, Tony, T’Challa, Fury, Hill, so many others. Even the youngest had not been spared. Peter Parker was still missing. Princess Shuri gone. The Maximoff twins had come from Florida to fight Thanos, too. Pietro had died in battle in Wakanda and Wanda had been dissolved by a movement of a Titan’s fingers. There was a dull ache in Steve’s chest.

The place had been empty when they arrived. The facility was missing two families in particular: Jane Odinson and her son were gone when Thor arrived with Stormbreaker, along with Darcy and Brock Rumlow and their little Pearl. No one knew where the small group might be. Heimdall was dead. Loki was dead. Thor’s entire family might be gone. A grieving Thor was solemn and wept at odd moments.

 

Steve was sitting quietly with him one evening when the facility’s gate camera activated. A battered station wagon with a familiar driver was looking at the camera. Her expression was anxious. “Jane!” Thor yelled, tearing out of the room. His son was waving from the backseat.

“They’re alive,” Steve said hopefully to himself. He followed Thor outside. Jane was running towards Thor. She was making frantic noises. They reminded Steve of a wounded animal.

 

Another figure emerged from the vehicle, face tired and drawn, to unbuckle the tiny Odinson from his car seat and pick the little boy up. “Here’s dad, huh? Your dad’s okay, see?”

“Daddy! Daddy!” The little boy toddled towards his father. Thor swept him up into his arms.

 

“Rumlow?” Steve said. “Where’s Darcy?”

Brock Rumlow turned to face him, but his dark eyes were watching the Odinsons reunite a few feet away. Jane was sobbing. Thor was clutching his son, looking dazed.

“Darcy’s gone. Dissolved right in front of me,” Rumlow said. “I was holding Pearl. She turned to dust in my arms. They’re both gone.”

“Gone,” Steve repeated.

 

“We think we can reverse it,” a voice said. Natasha had come outside. “Bring everyone back. Jane, do you think you could help? Scott Lang has brought a device.”

 

***

Steve went looking for Rumlow after a meeting about the science involved. They would need to go backwards at key moments, undo events. For a second, he thought he heard Darcy’s voice and his footsteps hurried automatically. But there was only one figure standing in the dark. Rumlow was looking down at his phone.

 

He tapped it and Steve heard Darcy’s voice again: “Anyhow, I gotta get broccoli for you and ice cream sandwiches for Janey and the rugrats, but I’ll be home—“

 

“It will work,” Steve said to the other man. He looked at Steve.

“You think so?” Rumlow asked.

“I don’t know what I’ll do if it doesn’t,” Steve said.

“Now that Foster and her son are safe with Thor, my plan is to learn how to suck-start a shotgun, Cap,” Rumlow said.

“I could use some help,” Steve said.

“You asking me for help?” Brock said.

“Possibly,” Steve said. “Or I could get you that shotgun? Your choice.”

“You must believe this’ll work,” Brock said. He grinned for a fraction of a second. “You think Foster and Lang can get her back. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be so obliging about getting me out of the way,” Brock said dryly.

“I don’t particularly want you dead,” Steve began.

“Sure you don’t, Cap. I’ll help. Count me in.” He walked away.

 

In his room, he set the phone next to a Happy Meal toy on the nightstand.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Continues our tradition of naming this series for Ani diFranco songs & lyrics with “Buildings and Bridges.”


End file.
